Apparatus for varying the temperatures of traveling containers



J. L. HEROLD EVAL APPARATUS FOR VARYING THE TEMPERATURES April 12, 1949.

OF TRAVELING CONTAINERS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 2, 1947 ATT ORN EY.

.1.1.. HEROLD ET AL 2,466,769 APPARATUS FOR VARYING THE TEMPERATURES April l2, 1949.

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INVENroRs J.L.HEROLD W.J. NEKOLA `F.WW.HM\LLER ,BY CUXMAMM ATTORNEY.

Patented Apr. 12, 1949 APPARATUS FOR VARYING THE TEMPERA- TURES OF TRAVELING CONTAINERS James L. Herold, St. Louis, William J. Nekola, Normandy, and Frederick W. Wehmlller, Ladue, Mo., assignors to Barry-Wehmiller Machinery Company, St. Louis, Mo., a corporation oi.'

Missour Applica-ti.v ".'Yy 2, 1947, Serial No. 745,674

4 Claims. l

This invention relates to apparatus for varying the temperatures or traveling containers, and more particularly to novel conditions wherein showers or sprays of liquids at selected tempera.- tures are discharged onto traveling containers to heat or cool the containers and their contents.

One of the objects of the invention is to produce a single system having novel cooperative details which enable it to very eiiiciently and economically perform substantially different processes of cooling, heating and pasteurizing.

Prior to this invention, there has been an outstanding demand for a commercially feasible single unit adapted to comply with all of the special cooperative requirements involved in various different heating and cooling processes. For example, one type of process may be limited to very gradual controlled cooling of hot containers and their contents. Another process may require the containers to be maintainedat a predetermined high temperature for a selected period of time and then gradually cooled. In a third process, the containers may be gradually preheated to a selected pasteurizing temperature, and maintained at that temperature for a predetermined period and then subjected to a gradual cooling at progressively decreasing temperatures. In actual practice, it would be quite desirable to employ a single machine for various different processes of this kind, especially in a plant where dilerent types of products are to be treated at diierent periods, or during different seasons of the year. As a specific illustration, we will hereafter refer to radically diierent treatments desired at different seasons in a plant where fruit .products are packed in containers, but of course the invention is not limited to products of this type, 4nor to the specific temperatures herein given.

A primary object of the invention is to create an entirely feasible system whereby a single machine, occupying a comparatively small floor space, can be employed to very eniciently and economically perform all of the functions heretofore .performed by a plurality of specially designed machines, or by rather cumbersome and less eillcient procedures. A specific object is to provide for high eiilciency and economy at each stage of the variable heating and cooling operations, including economy in the use of hot and cold temperature-regulating fluids, positive control in selecting the desired temperatures in radically diilerent zones. and convenience in handling the containers, while insuring the pre- 2 determined result in each of the several different processes.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention comprises the specific combination and arrangement of details herein shown and described to set forth the principles involved in the new procedure. However, it is to be understood that the invention extends to variations and modifications within the scope of terms employed in the claims hereunto appended.

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatical view of a system adapted for use in carrying out the invention, showing an arrangement of conditions desired in a process of gradually cooling traveling containers and their contents.

Fig. 2 is a similar diagram of the same system, showing substantially different critical conditions involved in maintaining the incoming traveling containers and their contents at a relatively high temperature for a selected prolonged period, and then gradually cooling the same to a selected low temperature.

Fig. 3 is another diagram of the same system set for still dilerent conditions involved in a process of gradually preheating the containers from a relatively low temperature to a predetermined pasteurizing temperature, then maintaining the pasteurizing temperature for a predetermined period of time, and thereafter gradually cooling the hot containers to a selected low temperature.

To illustrate a desirable form of the invention, we will speciiically describe different arrangements of conditions which are commercially desirable in processes of treating different kinds of fruit products. However, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the details of these arrangements, except as specified in the claims. For conveniencein this description we will refer to specific temperatures at various points in the system, but all of these are merely suggestions for average temperatures. In actual practice. the containers do not enter the system at an exactly uniform temperature, and it is not necessary to maintain an absolutely uniform temperature at any given point. However, the

*variable system can be set to'avoid undue variations from the temperature'selected for any given point.

The apparatus herein shown comprises a conveyor 4 arranged in a suitable housing to receive containers 5 at an intake end of the system and discharge them at the opposite end. In actual practice for a commerical apparatus, we have employed a conveyor of the type shown in Patent 3 No. 2,275,433, granted March 10, 1942, for an invention of J. L. Herold, W. J. Nekola and F. W. Wehmiller. However, any other suitable type oi conveyor may be employed.

The function of the conveyor is to transmit the containers through zones of carefully selected temperatures produced by liquids which are discharged onto the containers and then passed through the conveyor to pools of liquid below said conveyor.

More specifically stated, the apparatus may include groups of showering or spraying devices 6, 1, 8 and 9 above the conveyor to discharge liquids at selected temperatures onto the traveling containers, thereby forming successive temperature zones above the conveyor. A series of liquid compartments I0, II, I2 and I3 is located below the conveyor 4 to receive liquids falling from the containers.

Liquid conductors I4, I5, I6 and I1 lead from the respective liquid compartments to the groups of showering devices above the conveyor, each of said liquid conductors having an inlet I9 at one of said compartments and outlets at a group of the showering devices above the compartment in which its inlet is located. Pumps are located in the liquid conductors to force liquids from said compartments to the groups of showering devices.

These showering devices are preferably designed to discharge the liquids in the form of finely divided sprays which flare downwardly into relatively large areas at the traveling containers, so as to form continuous zones in the paths of the containers, the pumps 20 being operated to forcibly project said sprays onto the containers. In this manner, the containers are very effectively subjected to the temperatures of the forcible aring sprays.

The system also includes means for introducing temperature-controlling uids into the compartments I0, Il I2 and I3, so as to provide a desired liquid temperature in each compartment. While the temperatures of the pools of liquids may be controlled in any suitable manner, advantages are gained by introducing regulated amounts of temperature-controlling fluids into said pools. For example, the liquid compartments may be provided with separate inlet conductors 2l, 22, 23 and 24 for the admission of hot and cool fluids. The inlet conductors 2i, 22 and 23 maybe connected to a steam supply pipe 25 provided with a valve 26, while the inlet conductor 24 is connected to a pipe 21 through which relatively cool fresh water is admitted. The pipe 21 is provided with valves 28 and 29 and it may be extended to a supplemental group of spraying devices above a discharge end portion of the conveyor, so as to discharge the coolest liquid onto the outgoing containers.

It is to be understood that the temperaturecontrolllng fluids are employed to maintain selected temperature conditions in the several pools, and that the admission of such fluids may be regulated by hand-operated valves, or in any other suitabiemanner. However, to illustrate a very desirable procedure, we have diagrammatically shown thermostatic valves 3|, 32, 33 and 34 in the inlet conductors 2|, 22, 23 and 24, each of said thermostatic valves being equipped with a temperature-responsive controlling member 35 exposed to the temperature of the pool of liquid associated with its inlet conductor. Valve devices of this type4 can be set to maintain the pools at selected temperatures, the admission of heat- Ing or cooling uid being automatically regulated to provide predetermined temperatures in the successive pools.

The several liquid-receiving compartments are separated from each other by means of partitions 36, 31 and 38, and there may be an additional partition 39 at one side of the compartment II) to provide a trap 40 for excess products, or foreign matter, washed from the containers. This trap is provided with an overflow conductor 4I to discharge excess liquid, and a valve 42 in said conductor to regulate such discharge.

Attention is now directed to overflow passages 43, 44, 45 and 46 in the several partitions which allow liquid to overflow from one pool to another, in a direction opposite to the ltravel of the conveyor 4 and finally escape from the system at the valve-controlled overilow 4I, It may be noted that the overflow 45 at the partition 31 is provided with a valve 41 which may be adjusted to carefully regulate this overflow, or to completely close the same. As a cooperative detail, the compartment I2 at the right of said partition 31 is provided with an overilow conductor 48 to discharge excess liquid from the system, and a valve 49 to regulate or prevent overflow through said conductorl.

The system herein shown includes ordinary manually operated valves 50 and 5I in the inlet conductors 22 and 23 adapted to be entirely open when their companion thermostatic valves 32 and 33 are effective, or to be entirely closed when it is desired to eliminate the normal functions of these thermostatic valves.

Process of gradually cooling containers and their contents One of the processes to be carried out in the treatment of containers for jams, jellies, preserves and other products, consists in gradually reducing the temperatures of the containers. In a process of this kind, the previously heated containers will enter the system at an approximately uniform temperature known to the operator, and various controlling devices will be set to progressively cool the traveling containers from this predetermined high temperature to a selected low temperature.

For example, in Fig. 1 `we have shown special cooperative conditions which result in very high eciency in a process limited to progressive cooling from a known high temperature to a selected low temperature. In this illustration (Fig. 1), the thermostatic valve 3I is set to maintain a predetermined temperature in the pool of liquid in compartment I0. More specifically stated, if the incoming containers are at an average temperature of F., the pool in compartment Ill may be maintained at a temperature of about 110 F.. or if the incoming containers are at an average temperature of 200 F., said pool may be maintained at a temperature of about F. However, any other selected temperature range can be maintained in this pool, and consequently in the liquid discharged from a group of spraying devices 6 above said pool. The sprayed liquid will contact with the hotter containers and return by gravity at a temperature higher than that of the pool in compartment I0. This added heat obtained from the containers themselves provides substantial economy in the use of steam, or other heating uid, from the thermostatic valve 3|, at the same time providing for eiciency and economy in the zones of lower temperature, as will lbe hereinafter described.

In this illustration (Fig. 1), the thermostatic I 34. For subsequent cooling, the freshwater may be transmitted directly to the supplemental group of spraying devices 30 as shown in Fig. 1, and

regulated by adjustment of the hand-operated valve 23 in the supply pipe 21. I

Attention is now directed to special intermediate cooperative conditions which appear in Fig. l, between the rst pool which is maintained at a predetermined high temperature in compartment I0 and the final pool which is maintained at a selected low temperature in compartment I3. g

For these intermediate stages, we have closed the valves '50 and 5I to positively prevent admission of steam to the compartments II and I2, thereby deliberately eliminating the functions of the thermostatic valves 32 and 33, and also avoiding the cost of such additional heating medium at the intermediate stages. To obtain this econheated liquid from the top oi' said pool is constantly overflowing through passage 44 to the warmer pool inthe compartment I0.

The hottest pool of liquid for this progressive cooling process is in the compartment I0, associated with the group of spraying devices 3. Liquid-from this compartment is forcibly sprayed onto the hotter incoming traveling containers, and then returned to said compartment. However, excess heated liquid overflows from the top of the hot pool in this compartment Il)A to the trap 40 and thence to the overflow conductor 4I, and through the valve 42 which is open for free dlschargeof the overilowing liquid.

/ Study of the specic arrangement of cooperative details in Fig. 1 will show that our method g of and apparatus for carrying out substantially different processes, in a single unitary system, has

outstanding advantages in a process limited to special requirements for progressive gradual cooling.

omy, and at the same time provide for the de-` y The cool lwater from the groups of spraying devices 9 and 30 is heated bycontact with the warmer containers beforelfaliing into the pool of compartment I3. This added heat tends to increase the temperature of the last mentioned pool. However, as compensating factors, the fresh cold water is admitted directly to the supplemental spraying devices 30, and the heated liquid from the pool in compartment I3 is con` stantly overiiowing from the top of said pool to the next adjacent compartment I2, where a rela-- tively high temperature is desired for a previous stage in the progressive cooling.

The temperature of the pool in this intermediate compartment I2 is determined partly by the overflow of excess heated liquid from the coolest compartment I3. However, an important factor in providing the desired temperature for said pool appears in the added heat derived from the warmer containers. Liquid from this pool at I2 is pumped to the group of spraying devices 8 and discharged onto the relatively hot containers, so as 4to heat the sprayed liquid before it returns to the pool. A desired degree of added heat for the pool in compartment I2 is thereby freely obtained from the traveling containers.

Of course, such additional heating has a ten dency to unduly increase the temperature of the pool in the intermediate compartment I2. However, to avoid waste of heat from said pool'and at the same time maintain a still higher temperatui-ein the next adjacent compartment Il, the valve in the discharge conductor 48 may be closed, while the valve in the overflow passage 45 is opened to permit a continuous overflow of excess heated liquidto the compartment II. y

The pool in said compartment I I receives additional heat from the warmer containers, due to the spraying of its liquid onto the containers and the return of this heated liquid. However, excess A large mass of the hot containers can be crowded onto a simple, horizontal traveling conveyor which transmits them through successive temperature zones. The desired progressive decrease in temperature is safelyand eiiiciently obtained from forcible sprays of liquids discharged onto the ,containers in the several zones. The costs of added hot and cool temperature-controlling uids is relatively low, and this is especially true of the steam or other heating medium. The successive sprays of cooling liquids are heated by direct forcible contact with the crowded mass of traveling containers and then returned by gravity to.A selected pools, while excess heated liquid merely overflows from one pool to another in a direction opposite to the travel of the con tainers.

For this specific process of very gradually cooling the traveling containers, the valve in the intermediate discharge conductor 48 may be entirely closed to prevent loss of heated liquid, while the intermediate overflow passage 45 is entirely open to transfer such heated liquid to a compartment where a relatively high temperature is desired. As an additional control of the iiexible system, the hand-operated valves 50 and 5 I in the inlet conductors 22 and 23 are closed to eliminate the normal functions of their companion thermostatic valves, because the selected overflow conditions overcome the necessity of adding steam or other extraneous heating mediums at these intermediate zones.

However, to selectively perform substantially diii'erent processes in this simple system, the overow conditions at the valves 41 and 49 can be reversed, or regulated 'for economy and efficiency in producing and maintaining the desired temperature zones. For similar reasons, one or both of the hand-operated valves 50 and 5I may be opened to provide for selected automatic control of heating fluid to the compartments II and I2.

Processof maintaining high temperature and then gradually cooling the containers and the system can be set to maintain any selected n amano 7 high temperature while providing the desired progressive cooling temperatures.

However, as a very speciilc example, Fig. 2 illustrates conditions vwhich are desirable in maintaining prune juice at a selected average temperature of 180 F. for twenty minutes. and

then gradually cooling the traveling containers to 100 F.

Invthis speciilc illustration, the hand-operated valves 50 and 5I are open, and they do not materially interfere with other reguations. The thermostatic valves 3i and 32 are set to maintain a temperature of 185 F. in `the pools of the compartments I and Il, while the thermostatic valve 33 is set to maintain a lower temperature, between 110 F.- and 125 F.. in the pool of compartment I2, the thermostatic valve 34 being set for 75 F. in the cooling pool of compartment I3. litt the left hand end of Fig. 2, the overflowl valve 42 in the discharge. conductor 4I is set for a restricted discharge which maintains a liquid level high enough to provide for overflow from one pool to another and thence to said discharge conductor 4I. At an intermediate portion of the system, the overflow valve 41 is closed, or almost closed, to prevent excessive delivery of relatively cool liquid from the compartment I2 to the hotter compartment II, While the valve 49 in the intermediatev discharge conductor 48 is regulated for a discharge of excess heated liquid from the compartment l2.

Under these specific cooperative conditions, liquid from the compartments I0 and H in Fig. 2 will be pumped to the groups of spraying devices 6 and 1 at a temperature of 185, and then discharged onto the traveling containers above said compartments, the sprayed liquid being allowed to drop by gravity from the containers to the lower compartments, from which excess heated liquid is permitted to overilow` to the discharge conductor 4I.

At the same time, relatively cool liquid is pumped from the compartment I2 and forced to the group of spraying devices 8 above said compartment. This sprayed liquid is heated by contact with the containers, and then allowed to fall into the same compartment, while excess heated liquid overflows through the discharge conductor 48. Under thesevconditions, wherein the containers themselves add heat to the pool in compartment I2, very little added heating iluid is required at the inlet conductor 23. In fact, the heat derived from the containers as a tendency to overheat the pool in the compartment l2, but this is compensated for by a constant overflow of relatively cool liquid from the next compartment I3. Liquid from this cool compartment I3 is constantlyr pumped to the group of spraying devices 9 above said compartment, so 'as to contact with the warmer containers and then return to the same compartment. turning liquid adds heat from the containers to the pool in compartment I3. However, the coolest liquid is discharged directly from the supply pipe 21 to the supplemental group of spraying devices 30 at the right hand end of Fig. 2, and this relatively cool liquid passes from the outgoing containers to the pool in compartment I3, where it tends to prevent overheating of said pool. `The delivery of said cooling liquid to the spraying devices 30 is regulated at the valve 29 for the.

desired nal cooling of the containers.

Infthis process of maintaining the traveling products at a Ipredetermined high temperature for a predetermined prolonged period, and then iluids.

Process of preheating, pasteurizing and then gradually cooling the traveling products In Fig. 3 we have shown the same system set for a process of preheating, pasteurizing and then gradually cooling the containers to a selected low temperature. In this specific example, we are assuming that grape Juice in containers enters the system at an average temperature of F., and that this product is to be preheated to a pasteurizing temperature of 180 F., and maintained at that high temperature for a period of iive minutes, all oi which is to beiollowed by progressive cooling to a temperature of F. Other specific temperatures for a process of this kind can, ofcourse, be selected andmaintained to provide the successive conditions desired for the'treatment of numerous different products.

To accomplish the speciiic results referred to in connection with Fig. 3, the hand-operated valves 50 and 5I are entirely open. The thermostatic valves 3l, 32 and 33 which regulate the admission of steam, may be then set to maintain a temperature of F. in pool of compartment I0, F. in the compartment Il, and a range between 110 and 125 in the compartment I2.

'60 Of course, this re- The admission of added cooling uid through the thermostatic valve 34 may be regulated to provide a temperature of 75F. in the pool of compartment I3, while the hand-operated valve 29 is adjusted to provide the desired cooling at the iinal group of spraying devices 30.

At an intermediate portion of the system, the overflow valve 41 may be closed, or almost closed, while the valve 49 in the discharge conductor 48 is in a regulated open position. At the left hand end of the system, the overow valve 42 is selectively throttled to maintain liquid levels desired for overilows from one pool to another, and the desired discharge of excess liquid through the conductor 4l. l

When all of these lcooperativevconditions are created, we accomplish the specific results referred to in the exampleiof Fig. 3, with selected overflows from one .compartment to another in a direction opposite to the travel of the containers, so as to economize in the admission oi added heating and cooling fluids, while providing the desired successive temperature zones in the forcible sprays of liquid above the traveling conveyor.

In each of these substantially diierent processes, the incoming containers can be very readily/crowded onto one end of a wide, horizontal conveyor, so as to produce a more or less irregular crowded mass of containers, which merely travel Y in a simple horizontal Acourse through the deliber- The several pumps 20 may be 'constantly operated for continuous showering of liquid at selected temperatures in the successive zones, and such pumps are conveniently regulated for the desired rate of ow in each zone. However, the admission of expensive heating and cooling fluids from the inlet conductor 2|, 22, 23 and 24 to the several pools may be rather intermittent, as our system can be regulated to depend largely upon heat derived from the traveling containers themselves, and overows from one compartment to another under selected conditions, which tend to provide the desired temperature variations in adjacent spraying zones. These selective conditions result in an outstanding economy in the use of added heating medium for each of the several diierent kinds of processes to be performed in our simple flexible system.

The admission of added heating fluid is most conveniently regulated by thermostatic valves, but it could be regulated by hand-operated valves in carrying out our novel process, or the regulated added heat could be from submerged heating coils; or electrical heating in some variations of the process. However, we prefer the variable cooperative arrangement as herein disclosed, with manually controlled valves for one or more intermediate zones, such as we have shownat 50 and 5I, to eliminate the admission of heating ud through a selected thermostatic valve. The

valve 29 for the supplemental group of cooling` into the final pool of cooling liquid in compa-rtment I3, so as to partially compensate for the added heat derived from the warmer containers above said pool.

As an additional cooperative step, the speed of the conveyor 4 can be varied to provide a desirable time factor in each of the variable temperature zones, and particularly in a zone where the time element is a critical feature'of the process.

Any desirable number of compartments may be employed, with a group of spraying or showering devices above each compartment, so as to provide for more or less gradual stages of heating and cooling.

In Fig. 1, the desired progressive step by step decreases in temperatures at the pools of interheat exchanges. However, they will not result in defective treatment of the traveling products.

Our specic conditions provide for an extreme degree of economy under the prolonged-normal or average operating conditions, and whenever there is a substantial change in the spacing of containers on the conveyor, the departure from the normal heat exchange can be conveniently compensated for by regulated variations in the admission of extraneous temperature-regulating fluids. Such regulation is preferably automatic, so as to avoid personal attention to conditions at various different temperature zones.

We claim: y

1. In an apparatus for selectively varying the temperatures of traveling containers and their contents, so as to performsubstantially diiferent processes of cooling, heating and pasteurizing,. a conveyor arranged to receive the containers near one end of the apparatus and discharge them near the opposite end, groups of spraying devices above said conveyor to discharge liquids at selected temperatures onto the traveling containers, a series of liquid compartments below the conveyor to receive liquids at different temperatures falling from the containers, liquid conductors leading from the respective compartments to selected groups of said spraying devices, each of said liquid conductors having an inlet at one of said compartments and outlets at a group of the spraying devices directly above the compartment in which its inlet is located, so as to return sprayed liquid .to the same compartment, pumps 4in said liquid conductors to force liquids from pools in said compartments to the groups of devices, adjustable temperature-regulating devices to provide successive zones of different temperatures at the pools of liquids and groups of spraying devices, a regulated cooling temperature being maintained in a pool near the discharge end of mediate compartments Il and I2 are very economically obtained without adding any extraneous heating or cooling fluids to said pools.

Under normal operating conditions, when the conveyor is fully loaded with a crowded mass of the containers, the heat transfers from the traveling containers to the sprays vand thence to the series of overflowing pools, will occasionally provide the desired progressive temperature changes without adding any extraneous heating or cooling iluids through the inlet conductors 2l,4 22, 23 and 24. This ideal condition is suggestive of the extreme degree of economy found in the new system. i

In actual practice we have found that there are variations in the more or less -crowded condition of the mass of containers, and consequent variations in the heat exchange between the groups of sprays and the traveling containers. Under some conditions, there are rather wide open spaces between the traveling containers. As an extreme illustration, the admission of containers may be discontinued or interrupted. Such variations will prevent the above mentioned ideal f said conveyor while a relatively high temperature is maintained in a pool near the intake end of said conveyor, an overflow conductor leading from a liquid compartment near the intake end of said conveyor to discharge excess liquid from the system, said liquid compartments being provided with overflow passages allowing liquid to overow from one pool to `another and thence to said overflow conductor in a direction opposite to the travel of said conveyor, a regulating valve arranged to control the ow through one of'said overow passages and thereby restrict or` prevent overflow from one of said compartments to the next adjacent compartment, the compartment from which said overflow is controlled being provided with a separate overflow conductor to discharge liquid from the system, andV a regulating valve in/said separate overflow conductor movable to restrict or prevent discharge of liquid therethrough, the several regulating devices being independently adjustable to merely provide for progressive gradual cooling of the .traveling containers and their contents, or to maintain them at selected high temperatures for a prolonged stage of travel on the conveyor and then gradually cool the traveling products, or to gradually preheat, then pasteurize for a selected period and thereafter gradually cool the traveling products.

2. In an apparatus for selectively varying the temperatures of traveling containers and their contents, so as to perform substantially different lected temperatures onto the: traveling containers, a series of liquid compartments below the conveyor to receive liquids at diierent temperatures falling from the containers, liquid conductors leading from .the respective compartments to selected groups of said spraying devices, each of said liquid conductors having an inlet at one fluids into said compartments so as to provide adesiredy liquid temperature in each of said pools, said means including separate inlet conductors lor the admission of said temperature-regulating fluids to the respective compartments, regulating valves controlling the admission oi' uids through said inlet conductors, said regulating valves being set to provide successive zones of diierent temperaturesat thepools of liquids and groups of spraying devices, a regulated cooling fluid being introduced through an inlet conductor near the discharge end of said conveyor while a relatively hot uid is admitted through an inlet conductor near the intake end oi said conveyor, an overilow conductor leading from a liquid compartment near the intake end of said conveyor to discharge excess heated liquid from the system,`said liquid compartments being provided with overflow passages allowing liquid `to overiiow from one pool to another and thence to`said overflow conductor in a direction opposite to the travel of said conveyor, a regulating valve arranged to control the ilow through one of said overflow passages and rthereby restrict or prevent overow from one of in said liquid conductors to force liquids from pools in said compartments to the groups f devices. means for introducing temperature-regulating iiuids into said compartments so as to provide a desired liquid temperature in each oi said pools, said'means including separate inlet conductors for the admission of said temperature-regulating iiuids to the respective compartments, variable thermostatic valves controlling the admission of liluids through said inlet conductors. each oi said variable thermostatic valves being equipped with a temperature-responsive controlling member exposed to the temperature of the pool of liquid associated with its inlet conductor, said thermostatic valves being set to provide successive zones of different temperatures at the pools of liquids and groups of spraying devices, a regulated cooling fluid being introduced through an inlet conductor near the discharge end oi said conveyor while a relatively hot iluid is admitted through an inlet conductor near the intake end of said conveyor, and an overflow conductor leading from a liquid compartment near the intake end of said conveyor to discharge excess liquid from the system, said liquid compartments being provided with overiiow passages allowing liquid to overflow from one pool to another and thence to said overiiow conductor in a able to restrict or prevent discharge of liquid therethrough, the several regulating valves being adjustable to merely provide for progressive gradual cooling of the traveling products in a process limited to such gradual cooling, or to maintain the incoming products at selected high temperatures for `a prolonged stage of travel on the conveyor and then gradually cool the traveling products to a selected low temperature condition in a substantially diii'erent process, or to gradually preheat, then pasteurize for a selected period and thereafter gradually cool the traveling products in a still different process. J

3. In an apparatus for selectively varying the temperatures of traveling containers and their contents, so as to perform substantially different processes of cooling, heating and pasteurizingfr; conveyor arranged to receive the containers near one end oi' the apparatus and discharge ,them near'the opposite end, groups of spraying devices above said conveyor to discharge liquids at selected temperatures onto the traveling containers, a series oi' liquid compartments below the conveyor to receive liquids at different temperatures falling from the containers, liquid conductors leading from the respective compartments to selected groups of said spraying devices, each of said liquid conductors having `an inlet at one of said compartments and outlets at a, group of the spraying devices directly above the compartment in which its inlet is located. so as to return sprayed liquid to the same compartment, pumps.

direction opposite to the travel of said conveyor, and the several thermostatic valves 'being adjustable' to merely provide ior progressive gradual cooling of the traveling containers and their contents, or to maintain them at selected high temperatures for a prolonged stage oi travel on the conveyor and then gradually cool the containers, or to gradually preheat, then pasteurlze for a selected period and thereafter gradually cool the traveling products. y

4. In an apparatus for selectively varying the temperatures oi traveling containers andtheir contents, so as to perform substantially different processes of cooling, `heating and pasteurizing, a conveyor arranged to receive the containers near one end of the apparatus and discharge Athem near the opposite end, groups oi' spraying devices above said conveyor to discharge liquids at selected temperatures bnto the traveling containers, a series of liquid compartments below the conveyor to receive liquids at diierent temperatures failing from the containers, liquid conductors leading from the respective compartments to selected groups of said spraying devices, each of said liquid conductors having an inlet at one of said compartments and outlets at a group of the spraying devices directly above the compartment in which its inlet is located, so as to return sprayed liquid to the same compartment, pumps in said liquid conductors to force liquids from pools in said compartments to the groups oi spraying devices, means for introducing temperature-regulating fluids into said compartments s0 as to provide a desired liquid temperature in each of said pools, said means including'separate inlet conductors for the admission of said temperature-regulating fluids to the respective compart- Y ments, variable thermostatic valves controlling l the admission of fluids through said inlet convide successive zones of dierent temperatures at the pools of liquids and groups of spraying devices, a regulated cooling duid being introduced 13 through an inlet conductor near the discharge end of said conveyor while a relatively hot iluid is admitted through an inlet conductor near the intake end of said conveyor, one of said inlet conductors being equipped with a manually-controlled valve movable to prevent delivery of heating nuid through its thermostatic valve, while the flow through other inlet conductors is regulated by their thermostatic valves, an overflow conductor leading from a liquid compartment near the intake end of said conveyor to discharge excess liquid from the system, said liquid compartments being provided with overflow passages allowing liquid to overflow from one pool to another and thence to said overilow conductor in a direction opposite to the travel of said conveyor, a manually controlled valve arranged to control the ilow through one of said overflow passages and thereby restrict or prevent overflow from one of said compartments to the next adjacent compartment, the compartment from which said overflow is controlled being provided with a separate overilow conductor to discharge liquid' from the system, and a manually controlled valve at said separate overilow conductor movable to restrict or prevent discharge of liquid therethrough. the several thermostatlc valves and manually controlled valves being adjustable to merely provide for progressive gradual cooling of the traveling containers and their contents in a process limited to such gradual cooling of the containers, 0r to maintain them at selected high temperatures for a prolonged stage of travel on the conveyor and then gradually cool the containers in a substantially diierent process, or to gradually preheat, then pasteurize for a selected period and thereafter gradually cool the traveling products.

JAMES L. HEROLD.

WILLIAM J. NEKOLA.

FREDERICK W. WEHMIILER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Herold et al May 5, 1942 

